


First Tracks

by orangeCrates



Series: Hearts Exchanged [4]
Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Family Fluff, M/M, Marriage, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-26
Updated: 2014-12-26
Packaged: 2018-03-03 14:25:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2854103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orangeCrates/pseuds/orangeCrates
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the first snowfall after Malik and Altair got married and Tazim is, understandably, excited.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Tracks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [King of Novices (mykonos)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mykonos/gifts).



> I complained about there not being a word for footprints in fresh snow, but apparently there is a skiing term for cutting through fresh snow before anyone else does. The more you know.
> 
> (There should still totally be a word for footprints in fresh snow though.)

The thing Altair has learnt about living with a small child is that you should be prepared to be woken up at odd hours. Some of these instances, he's assured, happen during regular events like Christmas, birthdays and, for some reason, the first day of school.

Malik also has assured him that it will pass and soon Tazim will reach that lovely part of his development where he won't want to be awake until noon.

"And that is when we can return the favour."

To which Kadar, who was staying with them during his break, went "aha!" and points his fork at his brother accusingly with a bite of pancake still speared on the end and dripping with syrup. "I knew you did it on purpose!"

So Altair doesn't even bother to open his eyes when Tazim tears into their room, chanting 'dad dad dad' (for clarity's sake, Malik is 'baba' and Altair is 'dad'. But when Tazim wants to refer to them collectively he will choose one or the other and go with it).

When he follows up by jumping onto the bed, Altair only grunts and rolls over onto the child who shrieks in delight and squirms when Altair traps him in the circle of his arms.

"Don't smother him." Malik mumbles from his side of the bed, more for show than out of any actual concern for the safety of their son, certain in the belief that Altair would not hurt him.

Altair finally cracked his eyes open. "Who? Oh." He says while pushing himself up and onto his side, looking as if he's only noticing Tazim _now_. "When did you get here?"

His theatrics earn him a fresh peal of laughter and a long, drawn out 'daaad!'

"It snowed!" Tazim announced when he'd gotten his giggles under control. He kneels on the bed, placing his small hands on Altair's side to look over him, "It snowed, baba!"

At the news, Malik sits up as well, with an agreeable hum. He is not a morning person by nature, but has learnt to tolerate it over the years. To make up for this affront to what his body considers should be his normal sleep pattern, he finds ways to make himself feel better.

"Go wake your uncle."

And then Tazim tears out of the room again with a long squeal of 'Amm Kadar!" trailing after him.

With the sound of running feet as the backdrop, Malik leans over and places a kiss on Altair's cheek. "Good morning."

"Good morning."

Altair turns onto his back and angles his head to kiss him properly on the mouth.

It is a slow, lazy thing, the kiss, and when Malik pulls back he makes a face, "Ugh. Morning breath."

Altair laughs because it is an old complaint and, more importantly, has never made Malik rebuff his attempts at intamacy when they wake up. For that, he gets a light smack on the arm before Malik gets out of bed.

"Get dressed."

Somewhere beyond the room, he can hear Tazim's laughter again as Kadar retaliates against his unsolicited human alarm clock using tickling. Malik nudges their room door shut with his foot. And Altair stays in bed for a moment longer, admires the movement of the muscles on Malik's back as he pulls the shirt he was wearing over his head and throws it into the hamper in the closet. He watches as Malik rummages in the dresser for something.

"I mean it. Get out of bed."

Altair makes a non-commital sound.

"I could be convinced to if given the right incentive..."

And Malik turns to him with a wicked smile that makes Altair's heart skip a beat...and promptly throws a pair of socks at his face. Altair catches it, and tries to look affronted (it was not a very good attempt). "Is this how you treat your husband?"

The novelty of saying that has not worn off (and some small part of Altair wonders if it ever would). There's still a thrill in those words, not only in the idea of being a husband and married, but also that it was to this man, that he was Malik's as Malik was his. It is that tiny little four letter word in the front that said they belonged to each other, that made everything that much sweeter.

Malik only scoffs and turns back to what he was doing before, obviously unimpressed by Altair's theatrics. But he's acutely aware of the sounds of Altair moving despite his playing at not caring and so doesn't jump when a pair of arms snake around his waist and a kiss is dropped on his bare shoulder.

He lets go of the long sleeved shirt he was in the process of pulling out, covers Altair's hand with his own and runs his finger over the wedding ring he wore.

This is not his first experience with marriage, the proof of that still hangs on a chain around his neck (because he cannot just let her go, because both relationships are equally important to him), but experience did nothing to dampen the way he smiles foolishly...and he can't find it in himself to care, especially not when he can feel Altair's mouth turn up in an equally foolish expression of bliss against his shoulder.

~ + ~

Later, after Tazim had been properly dressed in all the layers Malik deemed necessary (of which Tazim complained about), they stand in the doorway leading out to the backyard. The snow covered the ground in a thick enough layer that it was satisfying when Tazim jumped into it with a squeal of laughter.

Unlike his father who did not like the cold, Tazim is only all too happy to tear through the snow, ruining the pristine blanket of white with child-sized footprints.

"You can go back in if you want." Malik steps out into the yard himself, pulls his scarf higher to cover his mouth and nose, "He won't be coming in for a while."

Kadar had chosen to stay in, promising to start the coffee machine before he goes back to sleep. The inside of the house is warm and inviting, but it is no contest against the sight of Malik, skin already turning pink from the cold where it is not covered. He steps the rest of the way out, lets the door swing closed behind him as he leans in to kiss him on his eye lid, first one then the other.

"I want to stay."

There is a smile in Malik's eyes and it is a simple thing, to imagine how the edges of his mouth must be quirked up in a smile.

He looks away from his husband to the ground. Around their footprints, the snow is still pristine and perfect. He looks back and sees the mess of his, Malik's and Tazim's footprints and in some spots he can pick out individual shapes and in others he cannot.

(He remembers walking out once during the winter when he was a child, how the trail he'd left in the snow had seemed so very alone in the quiet that always seemed to follow on the heels of snowfall.)

Gloved fingertips touch his cheek, drawing his attention from the snow (and the past) back to Malik's face. In the background, Tazim's laughter has given way to the diligent quiet of a child hard at work making a snowball but it sits differently in the air than the lonesome silence of having no one.

"Altair?" There is concern and curiosity in Malik's voice that Altair answers by covering his hand with his own.

"It's nothing."

"Baba!" They both turn at the call and finds Tazim had come back, holding up a handful fo snow, "Help me make a snow ball!"

It is not packing snow, anyone who has lived for an extended period of time in a place with snow would easily notice this. But Tazim is a determined child who still believes his parents could do the impossible.

They share an amused look.

"There's no harm in trying." Altair says with a shrug as Malik shakes his head with a sigh.

"Well, let's go then."


End file.
